Plunger for cork-slab-packing machines



April 13 1926. .1,580,559

' j C. E. McMANUs l lllllll/llllllllllllll ATTORNEY.

Cil

Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

CHARLES E. Mariannes@ PLUNGEIR, FORCORK-SLAB-PACKING MACHINES.

Application, filed Januaiyi?, 1924. senat massages;

To all whom t may conce-rn.' l

Be itknoivn that l, CHARLES E. MQMANUS,

a citizen of'V the United States, residingy ,at

the borough of lianhattan, inthe city,

county, andv State of NewY York, have in-V vented certain nen7 and useful 'Improvements in Plungers for Cork-Slab-Packing Machines, of which the following/is a specifi-v cation, referencebeingh-ad thereinto the accompanying drawings, which; form apart thereof.

My inventionjrelates to plu-ngers for cork slab vpacking machinesand more particu-- larly to plu-ngers for machines of this type in which cork composition, consisting lof granular cork and a thin coatingV offa binder oradhesive, is delivered insucceed-iing measured quantities to Within a 1nold','each' charge beingY compacted' prior to the delivery of the succeeding charge, by a reciprocatory plunger. v

Cork slabs to be packed in a machine in which a plunger embodying my invention is used, are extensively produced at the present time, for slicing into sheets of the.. required thickness for use in the: production ofY gaskets and other articles.

The purpose ofmy invention` is to prov-ide a plunger for use ininachines for makin-g such-slabs, so constructed' that each charge of cork composition may be more effectively subjected to the compracting pressure by the plunger, and thus ensure greater uniforn-iity in the densi-ty of the compacted ina-ss throughout aA mold, and substantial uniformity in the slabs compacted in-diti'ferent molds, and thus avoid Wastage due topossibility ofthe production ofl sheets vhaving in parts` thereof small surface voids, or small holes passing through portions of'suchsheets of cork sliced from such a slab.

The imperfections above referred tol neccssitate va careful inspection of each sheetof composition cork sliced from a slab,r and interfere With the Ysubsequent, handling of the-sheets in the production ofgaskets or otherarticles.

AL plunger embodying my invention ,is so constructed that` upon v its u engagement Y with each charge of cork composition, it will divide the charge and'compact this charge as ay result ofacOmbinedvertical and lat.

eralv pressure andthus not only ensure an effective .increeeeflrn-the compactingl area 0i the plungl$ but a reduction in the volume of corkcomposition acted' upon by any part ot the plunger, ina manner to" permitthe ei'fectlve application ofthe pressure/to a Vrelatively sinaill mass of the composition.

The construction-1 of the plunger is suclr that amore effective compaction is secured about the -vertical center-r orcore of the com.- pacted-` mass, and adjacent botlr side surfaces thereof, than. is attained by plungers heretoforelused, these being the portions of the slab Whereimperfections, if they exist, will most likely be present.

The invention consists pri-marilyin a plungerforf cork slab packing machines sub stantially rectangular iin cross-section, of greaterwidthand height than thickness, and having a transverselytaperedend'adapted tobe forced into a-.inold, whereby the `pressure applied` through the plunger divides a charge of cork composition and applies a com-pactingpressurey to the divided charge vertically and toward 'both sides of the mold; and Vin such other-novel features of construction as are hereinafter set forthI and described, and more particularly pointed out in thev claims hereto appended.l

Referring tothe dra-wings, l

Fig. l is a, frontl view ofa portion of a plunger embodying my invention -afndf of the y actuatingmeans therefor by Which" the plunger'1s'y reciproeated and byv which the 'desired pressurel istapplied".y to4 the plunger,

the moldY being shown' in vertical section; and

Fig. is -a perspective viewrof the lower portionof thelmechanism shownin Fig. l, illustrating the operative effect offthe plunger during the compacting interval.

Like letters refer to like parts in both of said views;A s F fn the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, n. indicates a-portienof a moldv iny which the cork composition used in forming'the slab, is compacted, succeed:- ing charges of-suchcomposition beiing delivered to Within the mold, and each charge beingY of substa-n-tiallyl the same volume. Since the compacting pressure is -fail-ly heavy, thel side walls ofthe mold .are reinforced' as'shown, to prevent bulging of these walls. Y

A'The dimensions of the mold cavi-tv are such as to forma slab of'from -one and onehalflto three inchesy in thick-ness, about thirty inches in Widthland-about twentyinches 'in sov fl U

lll() height, although these dimensions may be varied. Grdinarily, however, it is impracticable to have these slabs of a thickness greater than three inches, and it is preferable to limit them to the thickness of about one and one-half inches, since this thickness permits the most effective baking or vulcanization of the material of the slab, and avoids possibility of injury by the heat to the composition adjacent the surface of the slab as a result of the prolonged application of heat in the baker or vulcanizer.

During the compacting operation, a re ciprocatory plunger or ram is forced within the mold after the delivery of each charge of cork composition thereinto, this plunger being reciprocated through a mechaI nism, a portion of which is shown at c.

A plunger embodying my invention has the lower end thereof tapered as shown, thus producing a narrow, horizontal compacting surface CZ and converging side surfaces e and f. When the slab to be produced is approximately one and one-half inches, the total thickness of the plunger will be approximately that of the slab to be produced, due allowance being made for the proper clearance between this plunger' and the side walls of the mold cavity so as to secure a free sliding fit and avoid likelihood of interference with the plunger action by small particles of cork or adhesive on the walls of the cavity.

Vith a plunger of the dimensions above referred to. the flat, compacting end surface al will be approximately one-quarter of an inch in width and the converging side surfaces e and f will extend therefrom at an angle so to be of a. height of approximatelyu two inches, or extending at an angle of approximately 30 to the vertical center of the plunger'. If the angle of divergence of each surface from the vertical angle is greater than 300, the likelihood of imperfections in the slab increases, while if this angle is decreased beyond that specified, I have not found that any beneficial results arenttained.

As each charge of cork composition is delivered within a mold, it will be in a loose mass, and the top thereof will be substantially level. As the plunger I) is forced downwardly, the narrow vertical edge thereof will enter this loose mass adjacent the vertical center of the mold cavity, and will divide it, spreading it toward the side walls of the mold., rlhe fiat lower compacting surface d by itsI downward pressure will force the cork upon opposite sides thereof, upwardly until the space between the converging side compacting surfaces e and f and the sides of the mold a will be completely filled with the composition, which will occur before there has been any material compaction of the cork below the surface cl.

When the triangular bodies of cork upon the opposite sides of the mold have been thus completely formed, the continued descent of the plunger Z) will exert the final campacting pressure which will thus be downwardly below the surface d, and to a certain extent below each of the surfaces e and f, and outwardly of these latter surfaces as a result of the wedging action developed by said surfaces. The configuration of the end of the plunger will thus not only cause compaction of the composition downwardly and laterally of the mold, but by reason of the increased compacting areas, will secure a more e'c-ctive compacting pressure to the composition contained in each charge, and the application of a direct pressure to smaller volumes of each charge, and a direct compaction to a greater quantity thereof.

After the initial charge has been delivered to the mold and compacted, the portions of the previously compacted charge forming the wedge-shaped body will, by reason of the configuration of the end of the mold, receive a further compacting action through the composition or" the succeeding charge, and the conditions ,within the mold will be such as to secure a. firmer bonding of the composition of succeeding charges by reason of the increased contacting surface areas between such charges.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise angle of divergence 'of the compacting surfaces e and f nor to the width of the compacting surface d, since such will vary with variances in other dimensions of the plunger or ram, and may be varied where the quality of the cork in the composition, or the quality of theslabs produced require dierent degrees of density in the product.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to yhave protected by Letters Patent, is

l. A plunger for cork slab packing machines substantially rectangular in crosssection, of greater width and height than thickness, and having a transversely tapered end adapted to be forced into a mold, whereby the pressure applied through the plunger divides a charge of cork composition and applies a compacting pressure to the divided charge vertically and toward both sides of the mold.

2. i plunger for cork slab packing machines substantially rectangular in crosssection, of greater width and height than thickness, and having a i'iat compacting area upon op `iosite sides of the vertical center of 1 the plunger', and angularly disposed compacting areas upon opposite sides of, and converging from the sides of the plunger towards, said flat compacting area, whereby the pressure applied through the plunger divides a charge of cork composition and Y the mold.

3. A plunger for Cork slab packing machines substantially rectangular in crosssection, of greater Width and height than Thickness, and having a flat compacfing area adjacent thev vertical center of the plunger, and symmetrically arranged,angularly disposed cornpacting areas upon 0pposite sides of,l and converging from the sides of the plunger towards, said fiat coml paeting area, whereby the pressure applied through the plunger divides aeharge of cork composition and applies a compacting pressure to the divided charge vertically and toward both sides of the mold.

In Witness whereof I have hereuto affixedv this 9th day of January, 1924. 

